Pay by grade / W-1
W-1 PAY IN 2026
Base pay, BAS and BAH for W-1, from the official 2026 tables. Every figure below is published, not estimated.
What an W-1 actually receives each month
Three things make up most military pay, and only one of them shows up in the headline number.
| Component | Monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base pay, entering the grade | $4,056.60 | Rises with years of service, see the ladder below |
| BAS | $476.95 | Enlisted rate, same nationwide, not taxed |
| BAH, typical duty station | $2,394.00 | Set entirely by duty station ZIP, not taxed |
| Roughly per month | $6,927.55 | Mid-range station, with dependents, base pay entering the grade |
BAH is the swing factor. The same W-1 can receive $1,350.00 or $5,472.00 depending only on where they are stationed.
W-1 base pay by years of service
| Time in service | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 years | $4,056.60 | $48,679.20 |
| Over 2 years | $4,493.70 | $53,924.40 |
| Over 3 years | $4,611.00 | $55,332.00 |
| Over 4 years | $4,859.10 | $58,309.20 |
| Over 6 years | $5,152.20 | $61,826.40 |
| Over 8 years | $5,584.20 | $67,010.40 |
| Over 10 years | $5,786.10 | $69,433.20 |
| Over 12 years | $6,069.30 | $72,831.60 |
| Over 14 years | $6,346.50 | $76,158.00 |
| Over 16 years | $6,564.90 | $78,778.80 |
| Over 18 years | $6,766.20 | $81,194.40 |
| Over 20 years to 40+ years | $7,010.10 | $84,121.20 |
Longevity raises are automatic on the anniversary of your pay entry base date. If yours did not move when it should have, that is a checkable error.
W-1 BAH across the country
Across all 338 military housing areas, the 2026 BAH rate for W-1 ranges this widely:
| Housing area | With dependents | Without |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest: YOUNGSTOWN, OH | $1,350.00 | $1,128.00 |
| Typical: OMAHA/OFFUTT AFB, NE | $2,394.00 | $1,890.00 |
| Highest: SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $5,472.00 | $5,085.00 |
That is a spread of $4,122.00 a month between the cheapest and most expensive assignment at the same grade. It is also why a stale ZIP after a PCS costs so much.
Other pay grades
E-1E-2E-3E-4E-5E-6E-7E-8E-9W-2W-3W-4W-5O-1EO-2EO-3EO-1O-2O-3O-4O-5O-6O-7O-8O-9O-10